City of Seattle v. Monsanto Company et al

Filing 152

STIPULATION AND ORDER to Stay re parties' 151 Stipulated Motion signed by Judge Robert S. Lasnik. (TH)

1

THE HONORABLE ROBERT S. LASNIK

2
3
4
5
6
7

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON
AT SEATTLE

8
9
10

CITY OF SEATTLE, a municipal
corporation, located in the County of King,
State of Washington,

11

Plaintiff,

12

STIPULATED MOTION TO STAY THE
CASE

v.

13

Case No. 2:16-CV-00107-RSL

MONSANTO COMPANY, SOLUTIA INC.,
and PHARMACIA CORPORATION, and
DOES 1 through 100,

14
15

Defendants.

16

Plaintiff and Defendants file this stipulated motion requesting that the Court stay this

17

case until April 24, 2020 and vacate the currently scheduled deadlines. The City cannot

18

prosecute this complex case without outside counsel. The City is working diligently to retain

19

new counsel but, in the meantime, the City is unable to respond to discovery requests because

20

the City lacks access to the documents it has already produced. Without access to its

21

documents, the City cannot prepare witnesses for depositions and cannot identify whether

22

documents still need to be produced. The City also cannot finalize expert reports. Thus, the

23

court’s recent extension of the trial schedule does not provide the relief that the City needs.

24

The Parties agree that the trial schedule will need further modification after the City

25

has new counsel, because once new counsel is retained, it will take some time for new counsel

26

to get up to speed on this case. The Parties have agreed to conduct three fact witness
SCHWABE, WILLIAMSON & WYATT, P.C.
STIPULATED MOTION TO STAY CASE- 1
Attorneys at Law
1420 5th Avenue, Suite 3400
Seattle, WA 98101-4010
Telephone: [phone]

PDX\112389\219658\JCA\27509509.1

1

depositions during the stay, and they will work cooperatively in scheduling those depositions.

2

On or before April 24, 2020, the Parties will confer and propose a modification to the trial

3

schedule. They agree that the schedule they will propose will provide for Defendants to

4

complete a 30(b)(6) deposition of the Plaintiff at least thirty days before the deadline for

5

exchange of expert reports.

6

Dated this 11th day of March, 2020

7

PETER S. HOLMES
Seattle City Attorney

8
9

By: /s/ Laura B. Wishik
Peter S. Holmes, WSBA #15787
Laura B. Wishik, WSBA # 16682
Attorneys for Plaintiff

10
11
12

SEATTLE CITY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
701 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2050
Seattle, WA 98104
Telephone: [phone]
Attorneys for Plaintiff

13
14
15
16

SCHWABE, WILLIAMSON & WYATT,
P.C.

17
18

By: /s/ Jennifer L. Campbell
Jennifer L. Campbell, WSBA No. 31703
Email: [e-mail]
Connie Sue M. Martin, WSBA No.
26525
Email: [e-mail]
1420 5th Avenue, Suite 3400
Seattle, WA 98101
Telephone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Attorneys for Defendants, Monsanto
Company, Solutia Inc., and Pharmacia
Corporation

19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26

STIPULATED MOTION TO STAY CASE- 2
PDX\112389\219658\JCA\27509509.1

SCHWABE, WILLIAMSON & WYATT, P.C.
Attorneys at Law
1420 5th Avenue, Suite 3400
Seattle, WA 98101-4010
Telephone: [phone]

1

CAPES SOKOL

2
By: /s/ Adam E. Miller
Adam E. Miller, Bar No. 40945
Email: [e-mail]
Lisa N. DeBord, Bar No. 61658
Email: [e-mail]
7701 Forsyth Boulevard, 12th Floor
St. Louis, MO 63105
Attorneys Admitted Pro Hac Vice for
Defendants, Monsanto Company, Solutia
Inc., and Pharmacia Corporation

3
4
5
6
7
8
9

LATHAM & WATKINS LLP

10
By: /s/ Robert M. Howard
Robert M. Howard, CSBA No. 145870
Email: [e-mail]
Kelly E. Richardson, CSBA No. 210511
Email: [e-mail]
12670 High Bluff Drive
San Diego, CA 92130
Attorneys Admitted Pro Hac Vice for
Defendants, Monsanto Company, Solutia
Inc., and Pharmacia Corporation

11
12
13
14
15
16
17

KING & SPALDING LLP

18
19

By: /s/ Donald F. Zimmer
Donald F. Zimmer, CSBA No. 34371
Email: [e-mail]
Nicholas D. Kayhan, CSBA No. 129878
Email: [e-mail]
Megan Nishikawa, CSBA No. 271670
Email: [e-mail]
101 Second Street, Suite 2300
San Francisco, CA 94105
Attorneys Admitted Pro Hac Vice for
Defendants, Monsanto Company, Solutia
Inc., and Pharmacia Corporation

20
21
22
23
24
25
26

STIPULATED MOTION TO STAY CASE- 3
PDX\112389\219658\JCA\27509509.1

SCHWABE, WILLIAMSON & WYATT, P.C.
Attorneys at Law
1420 5th Avenue, Suite 3400
Seattle, WA 98101-4010
Telephone: [phone]

1
2
3

ORDER
It is so ordered.
Dated this 16th day of March, 2020.

4

A
Robert S. Lasnik

5
6

United States District Judge

7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
STIPULATED MOTION TO STAY CASE- 4
PDX\112389\219658\JCA\27509509.1

SCHWABE, WILLIAMSON & WYATT, P.C.
Attorneys at Law
1420 5th Avenue, Suite 3400
Seattle, WA 98101-4010
Telephone: [phone]